What is the highest salary for Captain?

The highest salary for Captain is $309,737 per year, $25,811 per month or $149 per hour.

What is the lowest salary for Captain?

The lowest salary for Captain is $165,931 per year, $13,828 per month or $80 per hour.

What is the Salary Trend for Captains?

Captain roles provide leadership opportunities and the chance for world travel. Airlines or shipping companies also typically pay for hotels, transportation and meals while captains are away from home. While hours can be long, federal regulations ensure that their schedules include breaks. Captains employed by the military enjoy additional benefits including excellent insurance, free tuition, store discounts, and a pension. Powered by Glassdoor Economic Research

Do Captains Make Good Money in United States?

When this question is posed to captains that visit Glassdoor's website, 71% say they are satisfied with their captain salary. Captains earn a base salary, but it is also common for them to receive overtime, trip bonuses, profit sharing proceeds, and even gratuities from passengers averaging around $87,480.48.

How Much Does a Captain Make Over Time in United States?

Captains are paid a wide range of salaries depending on the type and size of ship, but on average they make a captain salary of $133,803.90. Initially, they might earn a salary of $128,344.94 when they are just starting out. As they gain more experience in their captain career and move up to larger boats, they may earn a maximum salary of $404,950.42.

How to Make More Money as a Captain

If you are a captain in the tourism industry, the quickest way to make more money is to book more trips to earn overtime and extra tips. If you are a commercial captain, then the key to earning more money is to slowly increase the size and value of the ship being sailed. Becoming a captain of a major ship requires a long list of certifications including USCG licenses for various tonnage, USCG medical card, Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC), Radar Observer Unlimited, FCC Marine Radio Operator Permit, and more.

How to Negotiate a Higher Salary as a Captain

Captains that are applying for a new position should use the job interview to discuss their qualifications. Those with a lot of experience on the water should be able to demand a higher starting salary. If you are currently employed as a captain, you should conduct a job search for captain jobs to become familiar with the requirements of becoming a senior captain. It is very likely that you will need to invest in a long list of certifications and licenses. Once these have been obtained, you will be in a much better position to ask for a 15% to 20% raise.

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Captain Salaries

How much does Captain make?

Q: How much does Captain make?

The average salary for Captain is $221,241 per year or $106 per hour, with top earners making up to $404,871 (90th percentile). Typically, pay ranges from $165,931 (25th percentile) to $309,737 (75th percentile) annually. Salary estimates are based on 4563 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by Captain employees.

Total pay range

$166K - $310K/yr

$221K/yrMedian total pay

Pay breakdown

$100K - $187K/yrBase pay

$66K - $122K/yrAdditional pay

About our data

Last updated Apr 10, 20254.6K Salaries submitted

How accurate is a total pay range of $166K-$310K/yr?

Your input helps Glassdoor refine our pay estimates over time.

Popular companies for Captains

1,599 results

Dave & Buster's3.2★

$18 - $34/hr Total pay

$24 Median

Captain

ExpressJet Airlines3.2★

$119K - $223K/yr Total pay

$159K Median

Captain

Cape Air3.0★

$89K - $166K/yr Total pay

$119K Median

Captain

Enjoy Technology3.0★

$62K - $115K/yr Total pay

$82K Median

Captain

Delta Air Lines4.2★

$175K - $326K/yr Total pay

$233K Median

Captain

Viewing 16 - 20 of 1599

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

Illustration of an economist reviewing pay data

What is the pay outlook for Transportation?

Transportation salaries are growing rapidly as the demand for transportation workers grows. The increasing importance of e-commerce and global supply chains are likely to keep the need for transportation workers strong. Also, turnover in the transportation industry is high and an aging workforce is pushing employers to attract new workers to the industry through better pay and benefits.

Top paying industries

The top 5 paying industries for Captain in United States are Transportation & Logistics with a median total pay of $159,046, Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services with a median total pay of $155,163, Energy, Mining & Utilities with a median total pay of $144,919, Aerospace & Defense with a median total pay of $141,960, and Government & Public Administration with a median total pay of $127,973.

Transportation & Logistics

Top paying companies in Transportation & Logistics for Captain are Flexjet, United Airlines, and Alaska Airlines.

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Frequently asked questions about Captain salaries

Salaries for related job titlesBoat Captain ($70K)Crew ($34K)Airline Pilot ($126K)Bell Captain ($60K)

Salaries Captain

Captain Salaries

How much does Captain make?

About our data

Popular companies for Captains

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

Top paying industries

Transportation & Logistics

Jobs you may like

Frequently asked questions about Captain salaries

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How much does Captain make?

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Popular companies for Captains

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Top paying industries

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Frequently asked questions about Captain salaries

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